In 2019 the march will commence at 11am rather than 2pm, to avoid the possibility of extreme heat conditions.

Parade, pride and party come together once a year in Melbourne's iconic march celebrating solidarity in gender and sexuality diversity. Tie up your bootlaces or throw on your heels, and join the spectacular act of unity that is Midsumma Pride March. Whether you join the fanfare by foot or by wheel, with workmates or with family, with friends or with lovers, as ally or as queer, Midsumma Pride March is for you.

Kicking off with the much-loved pre-march procession by Dykes on Bikes followed by thousands of marchers led by Midsumma's Indigenous Pride Float. The celebration continues after the march with post-Pride Celebrations at the end of the parade route.

Registrations to march at the 2019 Midsumma Pride March have now closed.

The steps for participating in Midsumma Pride March are:

READ the information below.

TALK to us if you have any queries. Midsumma can be reached on 03 9296 6600 or [email protected].

COMPLETE your registration by Monday 3 December 2018 or Monday 19 November for vehicles.

DONATE to Midsumma (optional). Every dollar goes directly to making Midsumma Festival and events like Midsumma Pride March a reality.

CHECK your inbox in late December for an email with the Pride March order, arrival tips and info pack.

ATTEND the Participants Briefing on Tuesday 29 January 2019 at St Kilda Town Hall or watch online.

DRESS fabulously and we'll see you on Sunday 3 February for Midsumma Pride March!

Read on for vital information about participating in the march. Talk to us if you have any queries. Midsumma can be reached on 03 9296 6600 or [email protected].

Registrations to march in Midsumma Pride March closed on Monday 3 December 2018.

NB - Registrations to participate with a vehicle closed on Monday 19 November 2018.

Driving a Vehicle in the March See the I'm Driving a Vehicle tab below for essential info for anyone driving a vehicle in the march.

Stay Hydrated Help us reduce the impact of single-use plastic water bottles by bringing a reusable bottle to the march as we have free water refilling stations across the event.

Eat Something You will food trucks at Assembly and in Catani Gardens. There are also fantastic bars and restaurants along Fitzroy Street.

Be Sun Smart Don’t forget to slip, slop, slap! We also recommend leaving your pets at home, where it’s cool.

Read our FAQs Whether you are handing out things to the crowd or crafting your own banners, check out our Marching FAQs tab below for the do and don'ts of activities during the march.

Plan Your Travel Midsumma Pride March is a big event with road closures, limited parking and changes in public transport. See the Getting There tab below.

Be an Award Winner Awards are up for grabs the Most Fabulous group, the Most Innovative group and the group with a timely and well-conveyed Significant Message. See The Midsumma Pride March Awards tab below to learn more.

Volunteer We rely heavily on volunteers to make the 23 days of Midsumma a success. Help us recruit over 200 volunteers by encouraging your friends, workplace associates and family to volunteer at a major Midsumma event such as Midsumma Carnival or Midsumma Pride March.

Respect Each Other - Together We March Midsumma Pride March brings together diverse groups, personalities, perspectives, sexualities, genders and experiences. Everyone who marches deserves to feel safe and belong. Remember we are stronger as one and greater together, so treat each other with respect on the day.

Familiarise Yourself with the Marching Route It takes about 20 minutes to walk the marching route - see the Midsumma Pride March Map below to learn more.

Participant Briefing

Pride March Briefing: Tuesday 29 January 6:30 - 7:30pm

It's really important (read, compulsory) that a member of your group attends the Pride March Briefing. It can be attended online or in person at St Kilda Town Hall (Auditorium). Instructions about attending online will be sent to registered participants closer to the date of the briefing.

If you are having issues attending this briefing, please contact the Midsumma team to make alternative arrangements.

A video of the briefing will be posted here after 29 January for you to refer back to.

Also, as a matter of safety, each vehicle driver MUST attend this meeting (online or in person).

P.S. Feel free to also join us at the City of Port Phillip Pride Flag Raising Ceremony at 5:30pm out front of St Kilda Town Hall (optional) before the briefing.

Arrival Times and Assembly Location

Key Assembly Times for Midsumma Pride March: Sunday 3 February 2019 (see the Assembly Area Map below or Midsumma Pride March Map for an overview to all locations)

Vehicle Assembly

The assembly point for vehicles is Lakeside Drive and arrival times for vehicles will be from 9am to 10.30am.

Dykes on Bikes

Dykes on Bikes assemble and sign-in at the corner of Acland St and Fitzroy St at 10am.

Marchers

Groups Your group's arrival time will vary depending on your group's placement in the march:

Waves A to O: entire group on site at the assembly point at the Ian Johnson Oval by 10.30am. Find your group representative at your designated Wave location. Enter Ian Johnson Oval via the drop-off point on Lakeside Drive.

Waves P to U: entire group on site at the assembly point at the Ian Johnson Oval by 11.30am. Find your group representative at your designated Wave location. Enter Ian Johnson Oval via the drop-off point on Canterbury Road.

Group Representatives: Please ensure a representative of your group signs in at St Kilda Sports Club (adjoins the Marchers Assembly Point at the Ian Johnson Oval) between 9am and 10.30am. Then head over to the Marchers Assembly Point to greet your group as they arrive.

There will be food vendors with coffee and brunch in the Marchers Assembly Area.

Marching Order

View the Marching Order – the order in which groups will march and information about how the marching order is decided.

How is the marching order decided?

Groups are assembled together into sections called "waves" according to similar area of interest or themes. At the time of registering you will be asked to elect a wave grouping. Midsumma will confirm the marching order online before the day. In special circumstances, we also might need to make small adjustments on the day if any new information arises.

Marchers with special needs or living with disability can be placed early in the march since a long wait or lengthy exposure to the elements would adversely affect their health.

Non-queer identifying businesses and organisations showing pride are very welcome, but they do not march ahead of queer advocacy and diverse gender and sexuality (DGS) representative groups. No non-queer identifying corporate businesses (even if they are Midsumma Festival partners) pay to be a part of the march.

Some placement is determined by Main Stage call times, to get artists and crew to Catani Gardens in time to perform at the post-Pride Celebrations.

Some contingents request a late start time and don't mind being towards the end.

Over 30,000 people line the streets to support the march each year and the march needs to be exciting at every stage of the march, not just at the start. The final marching contingents are just as important as the first.

The balance of the remaining contingents are organised based on volume of sound clashing, vehicle/pedestrian safety or significant placement history.

The Midsumma team always marches last.

Midsumma Festival spends considerable time curating the march to be as fair as possible and can only enter into conversation about line-up requests with non-profit queer organisations that may from time to time express interest in marching with particular other non-profit queer organisations.

Registering: FAQs

How do I register to march?

Registrations for Midsumma Pride March close on 3 December 2018. Due to the extensive planning that takes place in the lead-up to Pride March, we cannot accept registrations on the day of the march. However, the general public are invited to follow the final marchers into Catani Gardens. NB - Registrations to participate with a vehicle close on Monday 19 November 2018.

Can I march as an individual?

Of course! Individuals are grouped together towards the front of the march but you still need to register and attend the participants briefing.

Marching: FAQs

Why has the time changed to 11am?

Because Midsumma Pride March occurs in summer, the possibility of extreme heat conditions on the day of the march is always present. In order to minimise the risk to the health and well-being of marchers, volunteers, staff and crowd members should extreme heat conditions prevail, we have moved the march forward to 11am.

Is Midsumma Pride March family friendly?

Midsumma Pride March is a family friendly event that appeals to individuals of all ages. Families are warmly welcome to participate in the March and attend the post-Pride Celebrations in Catani Gardens. However, parental or guardian discretion is advised: Pride March celebrates diverse genders & sexualities so the march does contain references to sex, and you will see the odd bare bottom.

As our pets are often considered family too, please make sure you have foot protection for your pooches if you bring them, otherwise plan to leave them at home. That road tar can get painfully hot on the paws.

Handing out stuff?

Keep a few things in mind: ★ Avoid handing out materials likely to be dropped on the street or in Catani Gardens. ★ Flyers and other paraphernalia must include an acknowledgement to 'recycle responsibly'. ★ You can't hand out food or beverages (and that includes lollies) without a current Food Handling Certificate.

Are balloons allowed at Pride March?

Midsumma Pride March is a balloon-free event. City of Port Phillip has joined with Zoos Victoria in their campaign to replace balloons with other environmentally friendly alternatives.

Are there height restrictions?

There will be tramlines above you! If your banners, flags or other props are taller than 2.5 meters please contact the Festival Office to discuss further.

Why are corporate businesses involved in Midsumma Pride March?

Many corporations and businesses participate in Pride Marches across the world. The two most common reasons that businesses participate in Midsumma Pride March are to empower their LGBTQIA+ employees to show Pride and feel safe within their workplace, and to demonstrate to the general public that their business is queer-friendly.

In 2019, businesses will not march ahead of queer advocacy and gender-and-sexuality-diverse-representative groups. No businesses pay to be part of Midsumma Pride March though some who march happen to be sponsorship partners of Midsumma Festival.

Why are Police at Midsumma Pride March?

Victoria Police play an important role in the safe delivery of Midsumma Pride March. As with all of Victoria's large-scale events, organised protests and parades, police officers are present to monitor and deal with threats of violence, terrorism and any situations that may become unsafe.

Victoria Police have a presence in the Parade itself, as allies and as part of their work in building mutual trust between police and LGBTQIA+ peoples, and as part of their internal pride for Victoria Police employees who identify as LGBTQIA+.

What is Midsumma's role in organising Midsumma Pride March?

In 2015 Midsumma become the custodians of Victoria's Pride March when the body Pride March Victoria, who had organised the March since its inception, folded.

As Victoria's leading festival for and by LGBTQIA+ peoples, Midsumma is proud to deliver this vital event, which takes yearlong planning and significant resourcing. Midsumma is always looking for ways to improve this event in response to Victoria's diverse, dynamic and ever-growing queer communities. We welcome feedback on the event!

Accessibility

What accessibility services are provided?

Wheelchair Accessibility: all of Fitzroy St and Catani Gardens are wheelchair accessible.

Accessible Drop Off Locations: These are located on the corner of Mary Street and Beaconsfield Parade (great for accessing Catani Gardens) and the corner of Lakeside Drive and Fitzroy Street (perfect for accessing the Assembly area and the start of the march).

Blind and low vision access: Audio describers will be situated at the accessible viewing platform at the heart of the march. You can call 0405 725 423 between 10.30am and 12.30pm to reach an audio describer from Description Victoria who will be happy to come and meet you at a tram stop or area by the march, then guide you to the accessible viewing area for the event to be audio described. A more detailed audio map will be produced close to the event – please contact Will at [email protected] to access this, or if you have any other questions.

Questions? If you have any questions, feedback or would like any information in another format, please don't hesitate to contact us on 03 9296 6600 or by emailing [email protected].

If you are Deaf, hard of hearing or have difficulty speaking, contact the National Relay Service on 133 677 or via relayservice.gov.au, then ask for 03 9296 6600 during business hours. There is no additional charge for this service.

I'm Driving a Vehicle: What Do I Need to Know?

If you're planning on driving a vehicle (whether it is a motorbike, fire-engine or car) there are a few things you need to know:

Driver and Vehicle Check: for the safety of all participants, Victoria Police will approve vehicles and their drivers. At the time of registering you'll be asked to provide the vehicle registration of each vehicle, licence details of each nominated driver as well as their contact details.

Communication: Each driver will receive communications from the Midsumma team, vital to their participation in the march.

Briefing: Each driver must attend the Pride March Briefing on Tuesday 29 January, 6:30 – 7:30pm at St Kilda Town Hall (Auditorium) or watch the briefing online.

Safety: For the safety of all marchers and viewers, drivers will be breathalysed and drug tested at Assembly. As required by Victoria Police, any motorcycle drivers are required to wear helmets.

Parking: There is no designated parking for vehicles after the parade.

Registration: You must register prior to Monday 19 November 2018, although marchers participating "on foot" have until Monday 3 December 2018.

Please note that only registered vehicles and drivers approved by Victoria Police will be allowed to participate. If you are unsure if your vehicle and nominated driver have been approved, please contact us on [email protected] or 03 9296 6600.

The Midsumma Pride March Awards

After their inception in 2017, the Midsumma Pride March Awards are continuing in 2019.

Following the lead of our queer cousins in Pride Marches across the world, the awards are intended to encourage a bright and meaningful presence from participants. Winners will be selected by a panel of diverse community representatives and announced at the post-Pride Celebrations.

The 2018 winners were:

Most Fabulous - awarded to the most fantastically frocked group. The 2018 winner was Jews of Pride.

Significant Message - awarded to the group with a timely and well-conveyed message. The 2018 winner was No Pride in Detention.

Most Innovative - awarded to the cleverest float in the show. The 2018 winner was Scouts Victoria.

Getting There

Midsumma Pride March is a big event with road closures, limited parking and changes in public transport.

Parking Due to the congestion caused by Midsumma Pride March, and the size of the event, there will be less parking than what is normally available in the precinct. Midsumma highly recommends taking public transport or cycling to the event. If you are unable to catch public transport, surrounding options for parking include:

Road Closures There will be extensive road closures throughout the area. Beaconsfield Pde, Marine Pde and Jakka Blvd will be closed from Elwood to Port Melbourne between 6am and 2.30pm approximately. Fitzroy Street and adjoining side streets will be closed to traffic between 8am and 4.30pm approximately.

* Yarra Trams will cease travel along Fitzroy Street from 10.30am on Sunday 28 January until 2.30pm. Please find further details from PTV about tram route changes affected by the march, in particular tram routes 3, 16 and 96.